Alfalfa

Formed November 16, 1907 (28^th county)

Alfalfa County (5,700), Cherokee (1,466)                

The gray masonry Neo-Classical structure with large windows create the governmental appearance of the courthouse, built in 1921.  There was a 1909 version of the courthouse in Cherokee, the only county seat.  The county was formed on November 16, 1907 from the Cherokee Outlet as the 28^th county.  It was originally part of Woods County.  The building sits on United States Highway 64 (Grand) at Third.  The architects for the building were Tonini and Bramblet.  The structure features a working clock and veteran memorials and a gazebo on the grounds.  Alfalfa County was named for the President of the Oklahoma Constitutional Convention and 9^th Governor of Oklahoma, William H. “Alfalfa Bill” Murray.  Cherokee derives its name from the Native American tribe.  Cherokee County has the same name source. 

Alfalfa County government consists of a treasurer, a sheriff, an assessor, and a clerk (executive).  It has 3 Commissioners (legislative.)  Fourteen District Court Judges serve Alfalfa, Blaine, Dewey, Garfield, Grant, Kingfisher, Major, Woods and Woodward counties and a court clerk serves Alfalfa County (judicial.)  The county is situated in northwest Oklahoma on the border with Kansas.  Enid, Oklahoma is southeast and Wichita, Kansas is northeast.  The county center is 3.7 miles Southeast of Cherokee.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Kansas and Grant, Garfield, Major, and Woods counties. 

The area of the county is 867 square miles.  It is 35 out of 77 in the state.  It ranks 65 out of 77 in population in the state.  It has a density of 6.6 persons per square mile making it 69 out of 77 in the state.  Alfalfa County has 73.4% of its population in its incorporated areas.  United States Highway 64 comes from the east, Grant County, and goes to the west, Woods County.  The county is a tall rectangle shape.  The Salt Fork of the Arkansas River crosses the northern part of the county.  Cherokee is in the northwest quarter of the county.  Cherokee is the county seat and the largest city.  It is 25.7% of the county population.

Lambert